God said through the prophet Isaiah, “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established.’” - Isaiah 46:9-10 NASB.
As Branches Church goes through the bible from cover to cover this year, we find there are many details that we just cannot get covered in the hour we spend together each week on Sunday mornings. Following along with the daily and weekly readings will help fill in the details and put you in the context of the stories. And the Wednesday Night IMPACT! Men’s Group is following along week by week for more details. But the goal is not to attempt to learn all the details and become great experts on why this story or that account is written in the Bible.
The goal of going Cover to Cover in 2012 is to follow the thread of God’s hand in dealing with humanity. God’s characteristics of patience, tolerance, kindness, grace, redemption, and restoration in particular are blatantly evident as we learn how He intervenes with humanity again and again. He has always had a plan; He has always been on our side; He has always been setting things up for setting things right again!
He hears Adam and Eve tell Him about their shame and nakedness so He graciously covers them with clothes. He warns Cain ahead of time to control his temper and when he doesn’t, and kills his brother, God hears him out about his fear of being retaliated against and in His kindness provides a place for him to live and raise his family in relative safety.
We read of God’s broken heart at the global wickedness and how He concludes to wipe humanity off the earth because they never even think of Him anymore. On the surface we could read into this that God is a God of punishment and intolerance; but He takes time to recognize Noah’s faith and righteous life. In His grace, He saves not only Noah, but Noah’s family – who, by the way, the Bible never mentions any relationship with God they may have – but it’s God’s grace for Noah. God is the God of second chances also.
We learn of Abraham and his descendants and their not-so-perfect lives and choices and God shows up again and again to bless them through their good choices and bad choices. This next week we will see how the lives of two men who find themselves on the wrong side of the law, one wracked with pain and in bad health, both alone, having lost almost everything, can say that God has been in this from the start and we’re right where we’re supposed to be!
What we should be getting out of all of this is that God is for us – not against us. And regardless of where we may find ourselves in this life we should be able to say, "There’s hope for me!"
Mike
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